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First step towards an arts hall of fame in Cornwall

Musician and former Cornwall councillor Syd Gardiner stands against a painted mural outside of the Royal Canadian Legion, where the group pushing for a permanent home for the local arts community held a fundraising breakfast on Tuesday February 13, 2018 in Cornwall, Ont.

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To kick off the Lenten season, the Cornwall arts community took another big step towards realizing a long sought after goal.

Cornwall’s first digital arts hall of fame was unveiled to a crowd of around 100 people on Tuesday morning at the Royal Canadian Legion, in an effort to shore up funds and support for a brick and mortar Cornwall Arts Centre.

“There is a really good turnout this morning. It is heartening to see so many people committed to the idea of an arts centre, even though there are no blueprints or solid plans,” said MC, Coun. Bernadette Clement.

Attendees were the first to get an idea of what the digital arts hall of fame will look like. The 55-inch digital display screen, donated by Best Buy, currently showcases five well-known artists from the Cornwall region, including a brief biography, work history, picture, and in some instances samples of their work. Unlike many sports halls of fame, the arts hall of fame is mobile, and can be brought to nearly any event required of it.

In addition to a Valentine’s Day-themed pancake breakfast, guests also had the chance to acquire fine art and gift packages, to further support the local arts community’s efforts to realize a permanent, comprehensive arts centre.

“We have been talking about this idea since my first term on council,” said Clement, who was first elected in 2006. “There needs to be a focus point for the arts in our community. We have a lot going on here.”

Former city councillor, long time musician and local actor Syd Gardiner has proven to be a prominent force in the push for a permanent arts centre.

“You can’t do this on your own. We need a good team,” said Gardiner. “I hope in the next four-to-six months we’ll have the building that we’re looking at. It’s important to have a place for people form outside of Cornwall to come and see what we have to offer.

“The arts world in our area was fragmented...But we needed to start bringing them together so that there’s one voice that incorporates every facet of the arts,” said Gardiner, who has been working hard at building bridges between the various segments of the arts community, to help promote the creative side of Cornwall and the region.

“We won’t really know what we raised today until next week,” said Gardiner.

Tuesday’s event sold around 125 tickets, with around 100 people in attendance.

“I didn’t expect much more than that because people work, and it’s early,” he said.

Funds raised at today’s events, and at future events, will be put towards the purchase or construction of a permanent home for the arts. The digital hall of fame required approximately $7,000 to get off the ground, as expenses will be incurred due to mobility and upkeep. It is the first step towards the realization of this project.

“This is a community doing their part and saying ‘we’re here,’” said Clement.